real shabby dee

I have finally attained the advanced age where, if I so choose, I may do my part in popularizing the bushy ear-hair sideburns and the luxurious nose-hair moustache.

Fear-mongering, hatred, intolerance, threats, and violence. Remember that is the platform you support the next time you vote Republican.

The knee-jerk “no” response is just childish irritation. And I’m used to the fear-mongering and intolerance. But with all the recent escalation in bigotry, aggressiveness, and violence, we have serious problems.

The Tea Party is the core of the Republican Party, like it or not. They have recommended violence as an answer to something they disagree with politically. Republican officials have not denounced them and, in some cases, have fanned the flames. Threats of violence to achieve political goals is terrorism.

That said, I’m not vilifying the Republican Party, because that implies I’ve said something false. Let alone they’ve driven this country over the cliff with their economic policies. They are anti-gay, anti-women, anti-science, anti-democratic. Hell, look at their propaganda arm, Fox News, they are anti-fact. Now, if the most important thing to you is supply-side economics or gutting the Federal government or building a border wall to the heavens, the Republican Party is a good alternative. The Democrats are by no means perfect, but at least they lean toward progress. We’ve had about thirty years of Republican dominance and we are worse off than before. It’s time they shut up and let someone else take the wheel.

There can be some bipartisanship even in this toxic environment. Durbin and Sessions got a bill through the Senate that addresses the crack cocaine sentencing disparity. They compromised on a 18-1 sentencing ratio to powdered cocaine and no retroactive sentence reductions. It wasn’t everything both sides wanted, but a compromise was reached. This is the kind of work we expect from our representatives. Now, if we could get more Republican participation like that, it would go a long way toward alleviating our problems.

War. Billions invested to field a powerful, traditional ground force fighting guerrillas. Soldiers despise the populace they are charged to protect, as well as the enemy they fight. They don’t speak the language or appreciate the culture. Both sides cause much suffering among the civilian non-combatants. What am I describing? Vietnam? Iraq? Afghanistan?

A conservative calling a liberal a Nazi is like a Nazi calling a liberal a Nazi.

“When religion and politics travel in the same cart, the riders believe nothing can stand in their way. Their movements become headlong–faster and faster and faster. They put aside all thought of obstacles and forget that a precipice does not show itself to the man in a blind rush until it’s too late.” — Bene Gesserit proverb

We need health care reform. The bill before Congress is not perfect, but it is politically a center-right bill, similar to a proposal presented by Bob Dole when he was in the Senate. If you have looked at the issue and the terms “socialist,” “too radical,” or “government takeover” come to mind, you may want to consider sliding back toward the middle with most Americans. Or buy some jackboots.

“Kindness is just love with its work boots on.” — Shelley from “The House Bunny”